Love and Hate
by Layla Sanchez
Summary: A Pokémon Ranger fanfiction following the plotline of the first game, with additions of three new characters who are changed in ways they can't imagine. Expect a lot from the Go-Rock Squad.
1. Sae Is Embarrassed and Watches a Newbie

**Chapter 1**

"Sae, you're on patrol," said Joel. The Ranger leader was assigning missions, and Sae had been half hoping something interesting would happen, just for the thrill of it.

Sae nodded, then left the building, taking care to look dutiful. The sun was warm on her face, and a slight breeze blew from the south, where the ocean was. Sae was absolutely certain that it would be a good day.

As soon as she'd thought this, out of the Ranger Base came the one person who could ruin any perfect day. Aria crossed her arms and smiled smugly. "Sae, you're on patrol?" she asked.

Sae knew it would end up being a taunt, but she couldn't help but take the bait. "Yes…"

"Well, I've been asked to go to Summerland to deliver a message to Cameron. I suppose it's apparent who Joel considers the superior Ranger, right?" said Aria. She walked away, leaving Sae no chance to answer her.

Sae couldn't stand Aria. They'd been rivals since they met, and it had only gotten worse since they'd been labeled the best Rangers in Fall City. The worst part was Aria's attitude, and she reserved that for Sae and Sae alone. Sure, she acted superior to the other Rangers, but she acted the worst whenever Sae was involved.

But Aria was gone now, and Sae could focus on the job at hand. She began her patrol, on the lookout for anyone who needed the assistance of a Ranger.

It wasn't long before she heard the cry. "Ranger, Ranger!" called a woman's voice.

Sae turned, and the woman said, "My son's Pikachu climbed the clock tower, and now my son is trying to go after it! Can you help?"

"Of course," said Sae, smiling reassuringly.

She followed the woman to the Joy Clock Tower, the landmark of the town. Sae saw the Pokémon on top. She'd need a ladder, but she could climb to get it.

But the first part was rescuing the boy, who was currently trying to rescue the Pikachu himself. The ladder he used was shaking far too violently to be safe.

"Hey," Sae called, "come down! I'll get your Pikachu."

The boy looked down and noticed Sae.

"Okay," he said, but he looked scared.

The Pikachu wasn't going anywhere. It could wait. Saving the boy was more important.

Sae grabbed the ladder. "Come on, I've got it, and I've got a steady grip."

The boy looked uncertain, but he took a step down.

"That's it! You can do it," said Sae, trying to keep a brave smile on her face despite her worry.

The boy took one more tentative step. Sae took one hand off of the ladder to get a firmer hold.

And he fell, crying out, his limbs flailing as gravity took hold on his small body. He'd turned upside down. Visions of the boy's head cracking on the hard concrete flashed through Sae's mind.

There was no time to waste. Sae ran forward. She caught the boy by his legs, heart pounding in her ears, his head inches from the ground.

Blushing, Sae set the boy on his feet. Unnecessary terror had been caused for both boy and mother, all because she'd let go. The incident wouldn't leave her head. The shift of weight from hand to hand, the sudden lightness of the ladder, the adrenaline pushing her to stop imminent tragedy…it was all too much.

To redeem herself, Sae climbed the ladder, retrieving the Pokémon as fast as she could. When she returned to the ground, she couldn't help but notice the spectators gathered around. There weren't many, only a few, but a few could gossip. Gossip was a nasty little thing with bad situations. It could turn a few into some, then into many. If the gossip reached Joel, then Sae would lose the favor she worked so hard to maintain.

The boy's mother thanked Sae, the boy too dazed by his near-death experience to notice her. Was it just her imagination, or did they look less than grateful? Could the mother really be rushing her son away?

She continued patrol, anxious. Everyone seemed to be glaring at her, but how could they have heard so fast? Didn't it take some time for news to spread? Could it really take only a matter of seconds?

A small commotion by the fountain shook Sae away from her thoughts. It took a moment, but Sae realized that it was Spenser, the Ringtown Ranger leader, and another Ringtown Ranger, a girl, young, confused, and obviously new. Between them circled an irate Hondour and a Plusle, scared and running from the biting Hondour.

Sae watched, vaguely interested, as Spenser pulled out his Capture Styler. It was the device all Rangers used for the purpose of transferring calming emotions from the Ranger to the Pokémon. But he didn't capture the Hondour right away. He was talking to the other Ranger, possibly instructing her as he pressed the button to release the capture wand. He flicked the wand at the Hondour, and the Capture Disc flew toward it. A few more moments of Spenser's speaking, and then he began the real capture.

To capture a Pokémon, a Ranger had to rotate their arm, encircling the Pokémon inside the loop with the Capture Disc. A loop would appear around the Pokémon, then would become white, opaque. If looped sufficiently, the Ranger would yank the Styler backwards, making the white circle close. This would allow the capture to be completed, and the Pokémon would be calmed.

Spenser did it differently for the purpose of the tutorial. He circled the Pokémon only once before yanking backward, something that worked rarely, on certain Pokémon. The Hondour wasn't one of them. It broke out, unhappier than before.

He circled it again. The Hondour seemed irritated, walking into the strange ring around it. The circle broke, as Spenser intended. Sae wondered how long it was going to take to capture this Pokémon.

The capture began again, and Spenser looped once. The Hondour, still angry, decided to attack. It spit fire, a ball of flames speeding straight to the circle.

_BOOM!_ The circle exploded. As customary in captures, the fire never reached outside of the loop, although Spenser's styler fizzled slightly in shock.

All part of the plan, it seemed. Spenser ended his tutorial session by brandishing his Styler and making quick work of the capture. The next step was to use an ability of the Pokémon or release it into the wild. Without a need to use the Pokémon's ability, Spenser released it.

Next, it was the new Ranger's turn. Focusing on the Plusle, she shouted "Capture on!" It was the command to activate the Styler, the one Rangers usually used. Hers was too loud, too enthusiastic, and she sounded nervous, but it worked. The capture wand extended. She stared at the Plusle, flicking the Capture wand too hard. But when she began the loops, she was a natural. The loops were quick and efficient, and the yank was timed properly. It was impressive.

The Ranger appeared genuinely shocked at her success. Sae wanted to congratulate her, but Spenser continued to speak. He guided her through the process of release, really simply a vocal command, and she released the Plusle.

Spenser looked to the sky, calling for his partner Pokémon. And it arrived, a Fearow swooping down, magnificent. So they were flying back to Ringtown? Clearly, since the new girl grabbed on to Spenser. She looked awkward. Seconds before they were whisked away, Sae spotted the Plusle grab onto the girl's leg.

And they were gone. Sae returned to patrol, the only spectator to the first capture of one of the greatest Rangers who would ever live in Fiore, a skip in her step as she walked and all her embarrassment forgotten.


	2. Terry Screws Up

Far to the north of Fall City, inside Panula Cave, Terry watched a group of Jynx dance. It was a personal show, something they'd perform for Terry alone. But what a spectacle! All it took was a capture to get a pair, and it didn't require expending much more effort for a trio, a quartet, a dancing crew.

But Terry's pleasure was cut short. He heard footsteps, and so he hid, releasing his Jynx with a button and a gesture.

Just as Terry ducked behind a large rock, a Ranger ran over and captured a Jynx. One of Terry's Jynx. The show wouldn't be so entertaining now.

The Ranger left quickly, obviously in a hurry. Terry crept out of hiding. The Jynx had dispersed, and the mood had been ruined. Now Terry had to find something else to do.

His stomach growled. Food already? How long had he been watching those Jynx?

Terry found the exit, walking up from frigid ice to warm winds. The wooden stairs clanked as he walked, aurally showing their age.

Finally, he heard the fishing man and his yelp of triumph as he landed a catch. The water was clear in the pond, disrupted by the rod and the water dripping off. The fishing man examined his catch, a Magikarp of decent size, while moving it to a smaller, man-made pool. The Magikarp plopped into the water, flopping as much in the water as it had above the water.

Terry stepped out and looked over into the edge of the water. He could see his reflection and the Pokémon swimming beneath. How odd.

"Oh, it's you again."

The fishing man had spoken, and Terry tried his best to look well managed. Could he succeed? Probably not, since he hadn't bathed in a long time, never brushed his white hair, and did a haphazard job of trying to cut his own hair.

"Are you looking for something to eat?" the fishing man asked.

Terry nodded. The fishing man had given him food before. It was tasty and hadn't made him sick, so he trusted him.

"I'll bring you something, then," said the fishing man. He turned into the forest beside the pond, where Terry knew his house was.

Terry looked at the newly caught Magikarp. Poor thing. It looked sad in the pool, away from its friends and family.

He picked up the Pokémon, trying his best to carry it the same way the fishing man had.

"Hey! Get your hands off my Magikarp!" said the fishing man, returning to the clearing just as Terry picked it up.

Terry turned, scared, dropping the Magikarp. He was too scared to move.

"Why would you try to steal it when I'm offering to feed you? Are you some kind of crook?"

Terry said nothing.

"Well? Are you going to answer me?" said the fishing man. Terry saw he'd dropped the food. So he was definitely angry, right? Or was he just surprised?

Instead of answering, Terry dashed forward, snatched the food from the ground, then ran back into the cave. He would have stayed, but he couldn't respond. The fishing man wouldn't have wanted to get a piece of paper so that Terry could tell him that he was mute. Terry didn't think there was any other way to tell him.

Terry sank into an alcove in the cave, savoring the last free meal he'd probably ever get from the fishing man. People didn't forget thieves, even if that wasn't what Terry had tried to do. Even if he were forgiven, he'd probably screw up again. What a shame.

*****

Author's Note: There were two chapters I considered for the second chapter. This is the less interesting, less plot relevant, shorter one. I chose it because it precedes the other in chronological order.


	3. Luna Faces Fears of Heights

**Chapter 3**

In the Sekra Range, the mountain range north of Wintown, Luna walked alone.

The wind contributed to the chilled air, and the landscape was surprisingly lively for such cold weather. But, Luna assumed, the Pokémon there had probably adapted over time. Luna had adapted as a child, back before she'd moved to Ringtown and become a Ranger.

Why, then, was Luna back, so close to her hometown? Perhaps it was because there seemed to be reports of disturbances here in the north. True, the problems didn't seem horrible, just small skirmishes, but every one of them pointed to people wearing the same strange outfits and behaving in the same strange manner. Perhaps there was a group causing problems. And problems were exactly what Luna wanted to find.

She took careful steps on the path, avoiding any signs of movement. Didn't the strangely dressed people reside in the mountains? Had she heard something wrong about the location?

Nothing had happened yet. Luna kept jumping aside to dodge movements that turned out to be Pokémon. It was frustrating, lacking the instant gratification. She stopped at the waterfall, doubting anyone would bother going that far. Hiding in some bushes, she sat and caught her breath. Climbing up a mountain was exhausting.

Luna's heart pounded in her ears when she heard voices, barely distinguishable above the din of the waterfall. She crept closer; trying to avoid being seen until she was sure they were who she was looking for.

Around the corner of the rock face came two men wearing one-piece red-and-white outfits, small grey vests, and grey belts, with reddish-brown hair in bowl cuts and purple shaded glasses covering their eyes. It matched the descriptions, if you combined them all into one.

These two seemed to be arguing. Luna waited and watched, trying to ensure that they were the right people.

"What's your problem? " said one. "You nearly got us both a dock on our pay!"

"It's not my fault!" said the other. "You're the one who was slacking off!"

"You were, too! At least I wasn't making it obvious!"

_That's annoying, but they're the right people,_ Luna thought. She strode out of the bushes and called, "Hey!"

The men stumbled backwards, startled. Then one muttered something to the other, and they scurried away.

Luna sighed. They just wanted to make things difficult, didn't they?

She turned around and spotted a Tangela in the grass. Now was the time to make a capture.

"Capture on," she whispered, activating her Styler. It extended, and Luna flicked it at the Tangela.

The capture disc whizzed out, ending up near the Tangela. Luna circled it as fast as possible, yanking backward after three loops. The Tangela was captured, albeit hastily.

"All right, Tangela, help me get across this waterfall," muttered Luna.

The Tangela threw from its viny body a ropelike tendril. It latched onto a post, placed there when the land was paved for exactly this reason.

The tricky part now was balancing. The thought of crossing made Luna queasy. But, she reminded herself, this was important.

She took one cautious step, testing the strength of her tightrope. The vine was strong, but could it support her weight?

Another step. It seemed it could. _Come on, Luna, other Rangers do this all the time. The men over there must, too. Don't be scared, _she thought. But telling herself this did nothing, and the nauseous feeling in her throat remained.

Luna began to advance, slowly, slowly. _Take one step at a time, and all will be well, _she thought.

The advice was "Don't look down," wasn't it? Yet looking down was all Luna could do, being careful not to place her feet somewhere unsteady and counting each step she made. Nerves made her count, a bad habit she'd gotten from her obsessive-compulsive mother.

One foot crossed over the other, and Luna felt herself falling, falling forward…

Only to land face first on the ground in front of her. Luna pushed herself up, rubbing her nose. It wasn't worth breaking bones. She'd have to check that she was okay when she got back, and make sure nothing throbbed too badly while she was doing the deed here.

"Thank you, Tangela," she said, after a moment of forgetting the Pokémon was there.

It released the pole, then jumped away. There went Luna's escape route. Why had she decided to do this again?

Oh, of course. For Spenser.

Luna followed the path of the men from earlier. Where had they gone?

Around the curve she went, only to be faced by a wall covered in vines. Rocks jutted out at odd angles. A few Gilgar flew around, looking for climbers to knock to the bottom. Surely she didn't have to climb this? She wasn't very good at climbing anything.

"Is she gone?" asked a distant voice. It came from the top of the wall, and it sounded like one of the men.

Luna pressed herself against the rocks. They hadn't seen her Styler and she didn't look like she was from Wintown. Perhaps they wouldn't realize that she had any way of crossing.

"Yeah, I think so," said the other man.

"Good. The boss wouldn't like it if we blew our cover," said the first.

_Oh, you've done a _wonderful_ job of hiding it so far,_ Luna thought sarcastically.

There was a sound of rock scraping against rock, and then of machinery moving down behind the wall.

Well, if she had to climb, she would. She took a deep breath, then started the climb.


	4. Luna Listens

**Chapter 4**

_Swoosh…_

The elevator, small as it was, didn't make for a comfortable ride. Why did people make uncomfortable elevators?

Still, it was functional. Discomfort, though unpleasant, was unimportant in comparison to the things this mission would do for Luna. At least, if everything worked according to plan.

The ride took a mind-numbing amount of time. How deep was it?

When it finally stopped, Luna almost didn't realize. It took her a moment to notice that the "door open" button was lit.

_How old-fashioned _are_ these people? _thought Luna. She pressed the button, and the door opened.

The room that the elevator opened into had nondescript grey walls and no furniture. _So they have clunky elevators, and they don't have any taste in interior decorating,_ Luna thought. What if they didn't have anything for Luna's plan?

She took a step out of the elevator. _And they haven't realized I'm here yet. Are they really the best shot I have?_

When she decided she should leave the elevator before the doors closed, she examined the room. The only feature, aside from the elevator, was a white door with a shaded window.

Luna opened the door, and she found a room with white walls. This had actual distinguishing features, a chair and a computer. Luna paid them no attention, focusing more on the hallway leading beyond. She continued walking until the ground turned red beneath her feet. _Oh, sh-_

"Ah! Intruder!" said a voice.

Luna stood there, staring at the man rushing toward her. He had that same silly uniform as the others, but Luna could tell from his higher-pitched voice that he was a different person.

"Shoo! Get out!" he said, making shooing motions with his hands.

Luna rolled her eyes. "I'm not a Pokémon."

"Uh…go away?" the man said. He was panicking, obvious from the look on his face.

"No," said Luna.

"I'm going to get in serious trouble if you don't leave," he said. It was a bit pathetic.

"I'm not in here by accident. I'd like to speak with your boss," said Luna. She crossed her arms, trying to look confident. Of course, with the way the man behaved, it probably wasn't necessary.

"B-but he isn't seeing anyone!"

Luna sighed. "Then is there anyone important I can see? I think I can help your team, or…" She paused. "What are you, anyway?"

"A squad…"

"Okay. Then I can help your squad, but I need to talk to a higher-up! Can you take me to one?" asked Luna. She tried to make herself look angry, tough, unlike the frustration she really felt.

"Wha-…Bu-…He-…Fine," said the man. "But I had nothing to do with this if it goes wrong!"

Luna nodded, and the man led her through the hall. It seemed it was a maze of security floor tiles, which would activate if stepped on while lit in a bright red. Luna couldn't help but wonder why they bothered turning red at all, why they didn't simply remain the same color as the rest of the floor. But she kept her mouth shut, looking straight ahead and following closely.

Soon, the panels ended, and Luna followed the man down a flight of stairs. It opened into a room with flickering floor panels, which Luna had seen before as teleportation pads.

"Tom!" called a voice, and Luna noticed another of the men in the squad's uniform. Was he one of this Tom's friends, or was he a higher-up?

Whichever he was, he paled when he saw Luna. "Who's that? Why is she down here?"

"She's looking for one of the Quads, I think," said Tom.

"You can't let some stranger into the base! It could ruin the plan!"

Luna wondered what was so important to hide that a stranger could devastate them. After all, they didn't seem to realize that she was a Ranger.

"But one of the Quads could deal with her, right, Andrew?" asked Tom.

The man named Andrew glared at Luna. "Fine."

Tom pressed a button on a wristwatch Luna hadn't noticed earlier.

"Can one of the Go-Rock Quads come to the stairs by the security floor?" he asked.

Tom waited for a response. Andrew hadn't stopped glaring. To Luna, it was unnerving, as was the fact that Tom seemed to get more nervous by the second. Were these two important enough to elicit a response?

"Are you expecting a direct answer?" said a voice. But it didn't come from the watch. It came from directly in front of them, from the person who had just stepped off of one of the teleportation pads, flashing a cocky smile at Andrew and Tom.

Luna took him in, sizing him up. He wore a long blue coat over a purple shirt and blue jeans. His hair was white with a green tinge, and he had a belt around his neck. Overall, he was just someone in his late teens, rather overweight and dressed bizarrely. He didn't seem like anything to be worried about.

Andrew and Tom took a few steps back, as though nervous, but Luna wasn't intimidated. Either she was braver than they were, or this was the one they'd been waiting for. Perhaps it was both.

As he looked at Luna, the smile he wore melted into a frown.

"You two were stupid enough to let a Ranger in here?" he asked, incredulous.

Andrew and Tom shot nervous glances back and forth.

"W-we didn't know she was a Ranger!" said Tom.

"I tried to tell him not to let her in!" said Andrew.

"But you still backed off and let her in!" said Tom.

"Shut up! If you two don't even know a Ranger when you see one, maybe you oughta' be demoted?"

"No!" shrieked Tom.

_At least the important members aren't as pathetic as the low-ranked ones,_ thought Luna.

"I've had enough of you two already! Grunts like you are the reason we aren't raking in the cash." He took a breath, then said, "Shoo."

Andrew and Tom left, tripping as they walked, and Luna was glad they were leaving. The boy remained, and Luna debated running now, before it was too late to change her mind.

"So. A Ringtown Ranger in the mountains. You don't have any beef with us. I think it would be in your best interests to leave. Nothing to see in the underground building. We're just doing research," he said.

Luna took a deep breath. This was her last chance. Did she want to leave, or did she want to hurl herself into this?

"Actually, I'm here because I have to tell you something," Luna said. _No turning back._

"And what would a Ranger possibly have to say to us?" he said, crossing his arms.

Luna gulped. Acting brave around two idiots was one thing; acting brave in front of someone that could potentially make or break her efforts was completely different. "I know this organization has been causing trouble, and-"

"You want to make something of that?" Faster than Luna thought possible for someone of his weight, he was pinning her to the wall, his smelly breath on her face and his scowl too close for comfort.

"No! I-I wanted to o-offer you my services!" said Luna. She could've kicked herself for the stuttering.

"You wanna join up?"

"No, but I thought I could help! I could be a spy!"

"A spy?" He didn't release her, but his grip relaxed ever so slightly.

"Yeah. Wouldn't it be useful to have an informed Ranger for whatever you're planning on doing?"

The boy thought for a moment. Then he grabbed Luna's wrist and said, "Don't try to get free."

_Was that a yes or a no?_ thought Luna as he led her away.

**Author's Note:** Here you are, a new chapter! I may or may not post a new chapter before my two-week vacation, so I'll warn you in advance. Andrew and Tom most likely won't show up again.

Oh, yes, and REVIEW! I have one consistent reviewer now, and I appreciate it, but I want to hear what you think! If you read, PLEASE give me a review!


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